The present invention relates to glue sticks of the type used to apply glue in stationery application and more particularly to an improved cap for glue stick products featuring a snap-back xe2x80x9cnever lose the capxe2x80x9d and also allowing the product to be used in an off axis pencil-like orientation.
Glue sticks are commercially available products comprising a generally cylindrical body of solid adhesive contained within a generally cylindrical housing. Conventionally, the housing is closed by a removable cap with a circular opening on its bottom. The circular opening is in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the glue stick. The cap is removed when one wishes to use the glue stick. The exposed top surface of the body of glue is in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the glue stick. One therefore holds the glue stick in an orientation which is generally perpendicular to the surface upon which one uses to apply the glue. Thus, if one wishes to apply glue to a piece of paper on a horizontal desk surface, one will hold the glue stick in a vertical orientation to apply the glue to the piece of paper. When one is finished with the glue stick, the separate cap is reapplied and the glue stick put away.
While this conventional product has been commercially successful, applicant has found areas in which significant improvements can be made.
An area in which improvement can be made is the orientation of the glue stick when used. There are more natural ways in which one can hold an object when one is applying a workpiece to a piece of paper or the like. A pen-like grip resulting in an implement being off the vertical axis is natural for many people. Thus, the vertical orientation of conventional glue stick casings is a problem. Additionally, when one removes the cap from a glue stick, it is often lost, misplaced or simply left off. The glue then dries out and is no longer usable.
These disadvantages and others are addressed by applicant""s invention as described below.
In accordance with the present invention, a glue stick is provided having a cylindrical body of glue surrounded by a cylindrical housing and a removable cap closing said housing. The cap is split into a lower portion and an upper portion at a plane other than perpendicular to the axis of the cap with the upper portion of the cap being disengageable from the lower portion of the cap.
Still further in accordance with the present invention, the upper portion of the cap is permanently fixed to the lower portion of the cap whereby the upper portion of the cap may be swung away from the lower portion of the cap allowing one to use the glue stick with the upper portion of the cap still attached to the glue stick.
Still further in accordance with the invention, the entire cap may be removed from the glue stick housing.
Yet further in accordance with the present invention, the upper portion of the glue stick housing and the lower portion of the glue stick housing are provided with a recess and rib arrangement where they mate and the upper portion of the glue stick housing may be releasably locked to the lower portion of the glue stick housing in the closed position.
Still further in accordance with the invention, the cap provides an xe2x80x9cair-tightxe2x80x9d seal which prevents the glue from drying out.
Yet further in accordance with the present invention, the upper portion of the glue stick housing is provided with a stud or rib which mates with a recess in the lower portion of the glue stick housing whereby the upper portion of the glue stick housing may be locked in the open position.
Still further in accordance with the present invention, the upper portion of the glue stick housing and the lower portion of the glue stick housing are split from one another on a plane which intersects the axis of the gap at an angle of about 35xc2x0 from the perpendicular.
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a glue stick which can be used to apply glue to a horizontal surface while held in a natural pen-like orientation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a glue stick which allows one to apply glue from a large surface of a glue stick while holding the glue in a pen-like orientation or applying glue from a sharp edge of a body of glue either in a pen-like orientation or a vertical orientation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a glue stick which presents an application surface of the glue which is oriented at an angle of about 35xc2x0 with respect to the axis of the glue stick.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a glue stick which allows one to apply glue with the glue stick opened by separating the upper portion of the cap from the lower portion of the cap or by removing the cap in its entirety from the glue stick.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a glue stick product in which the body of glue contained in the housing when the glue stick is no long usable is minimized.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a glue stick product in which the glue is less likely to dry out as the glue stick product can be used without separating the cap from the housing.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a cap hindering cap loss and minimizing the time to close between use.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a glue stick which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and allows accurate application of glue to a substrate.